


A Different Life

by tariana



Category: Toy Soldiers (1991)
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-30
Updated: 2018-07-30
Packaged: 2019-06-18 22:20:10
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 787
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15495927
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tariana/pseuds/tariana
Summary: I had this very clear vision of Joey as Professor Trotta one afternoon while walking back to my bus from school, and I felt very strongly that I had to figure out a way to get him to be alive so he was able to be a college professor. It seems that the bullets struck him in different places than in the movie, of course. So here he is... my dear Professor Trotta, with an appearance by Professor Tepper, as well.





	A Different Life

Billy turned off his office light and locked the door, then stepped out into the hallway. He didn’t think he’d need his coat – it was pretty warm out for February, and there was just a short walk across the courtyard. He squinted when he walked out the doors of Seaton Hall. It was bright outside compared to his little basement office. His eyes had just about adjusted by the time he made it across the courtyard and inside the building where the cafeteria was. 

He looked around, spotting Joey already at a table with what looked to be the world’s biggest slice of pizza. Billy sighed and headed for the salad bar. At 35, Joey might still have the same metabolism as in high school – that slim body seemed to be able to burn off any amount of calories as if they were nothing – but Billy was not so lucky. The body that had been stocky and solid in high school now tended to pudgy if he wasn’t careful.

Joey looked up from his book at Billy’s approach.

“How was class?”

“Those guys are way too smart for their own good,” Billy replied. His freshman Intro to Engineering class consisted of too many guys who reminded him of himself at that age. 

Joey laughed. “This from the original ‘too smart for his own good’.”

“You haven’t got any room to talk,” Billy said.

“Well, no,” Joey admitted. “And besides, I have to deal with most of them, too.” Most of the students from Billy’s class in the morning went to Joey’s Technical Writing class in the afternoon.

The rest of lunch passed quickly, with the easy, comfortable conversation that comes of knowing someone so long you can’t remember what you were like when you didn’t know them. Billy knew there was a time before Joey, but honestly, he didn’t care. He would rather live for now. 

Billy was very aware that there could have been a life without Joey for him, and all it would have taken was a few very small things to make it so – bullets striking a body in slightly different places, for example, or one man’s decision not to call an ambulance. As if he could ever thank Cali for anything but that. He knew it was just Cali’s own fear of Albert Trotta that made him do it, but God, Billy didn’t want to think about what would have happened if Joey had died.

Billy picked up the trays from their table and got rid of their trash, then came back to the table. He had time before his next class to walk back to Joey’s office with him.

Joey stood slowly, letting the stiffness ease out of his legs. Billy reached for the cane that leaned against the wall, and Joey took it, leaning on it. Then they began their slow walk back to Joey’s office. A five minute walk for anyone else, it took Joey more than ten, but Billy was happy enough to walk along beside him.

“They’re still talking about us, you know?” Joey commented.

A few weeks ago, Joey had told Billy that he’d heard one of his students say, quite clearly, that “Professor Trotta was gay with Professor Tepper.” While that certainly was true, Joey wasn’t sure he liked the idea of being gossip fodder for his students.

Of course, Billy had been the one to out them. He’d forgotten where exactly they were one day, and had kissed Joey in the hallway outside his office before heading back to his own office. Only a few people had seen, but by the next day, it was all over campus. For the most part, it didn’t seem to be a big deal, although Joey was amused to find out that some of his female students (and he bet some of Billy’s as well) were apparently saddened by the loss of what they had seen as two eligible bachelors.

Billy guessed he and Joey had been together so long that it was easy to forget that other people didn’t know that – didn’t know all the history they had, all the years they had, all they had been through together.

Shortly, they arrived at the building that housed Joey’s office.

“Want to come in?” Joey asked, but Billy shook his head.

“No, I’ll see you at home later.” Joey taught an evening class this semester and wouldn’t be home for several hours after Billy.

Joey nodded. “Okay. I love you, Billy.”

“Love you, too,” Billy replied, smiling. He watched Joey until he had gone into the building, then turned and started making his way back across campus to his office, enjoying the feeling of the sunshine on his face.


End file.
